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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cue — a hint
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cell — in biology
  11. current — of water
  12. cue — a signal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. current — electric
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mark — a trace
  19. toast — bread
  20. cell — a phone
  21. current — happening now
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. toast — the most admired

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com